Pearl Harbor
At 7:50 a.m., Naval Commander Donald DuBrul was about to complete his 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. watch on board the USS Argon. The ship was stationed in the Navy Yard towards the entrance to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He began wondering if the next man would show up for his shift. In the distance, a band onboard the USS Nevada could be heard playing the Star-spangled Banner for the flag-raising ceremony that was about to commence. The singleman paced waiting for his chance to have his watch end when he turned east to look out over the harbor. Directly east, Ford Island could be seen with its battleship yard full and past that, the ammo dump and tank farm. Over the music being played on the Nevada, a plain's whine could be heard. Commander DuBrul looked up just in time to see an explosion on Ford Island. His immediate thought was that some American pilot was about to be court marshaled; until another plane flew in and unloaded its cargo. The first wave of Japanese torpedo planes !came into full view as they passed through the clouds aiming for the battleship yard. The time was 7:53 a.m. The seaman stood in astonishment as flames lept from the ships. He was awakened by a voice over the loud speaker yelling, "Air Raid Pearl Harbor
The consequences of Pearl Harbor can be seen more clearly through its indirect results rather than its direct ones. After joining World War II, the United States had a profound influence over the outcome of the war. At the time before the entrance of the United States, the Axis powers looked as if they could easily win. Continental Europe was under direct control by Germany, with the exception of Sweden, Switzerland, and Portugal. Spain had just completed a civil war and was under control of the Franco regime which was pro-Axis. Italy was a fascist nation that had been subordinated to Nazism. In North Africa, and France, the Vichy governments were working extremely well. Sweden was also bound to Germany for economic reasons which made them more Axis then Allied. Soviet Russia had been pushed deep into its own territory while in North Africa the Allies were being beaten badly. (Buchanan 79) In Great Britain, the nightly bombings were beginning to take their toll. Lo! This book begins with information on Pearl Harbor. It then goes extensively into the controversy that was aroused by the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Melosi, Martin V. The Shadow of Pearl Harbor. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 1977. 2,403 were dead which included 2,008 Navy personnel, 1,178 were wounded which also included the 710 Navy personnel. The Battle Force of the Pacific Fleet took "a terrific beating", and Battleship Row along Ford Island was "a shambles". (Buchanan 74) Two-third of the Naval Air Craft had been completely destroyed (75) which included 96 Army and 92 Naval aircraft. Besides this, 159 planes have been damaged, the majority of which are from the Army. (Davis 119) Pearl Harbor had been home to the US Pacific Navy and had been a perfect target to the Japanese. (Bachrach 11) With the surprise attack on the United States by Japan, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had obtained his cue to enter World War II. He soon spoke with Congress which took six and a half minutes to declare war. (Flower et al 285) "A date which will live in infamy" was the best explanation for the worst loss in United States Naval history. This is exactly what Pearl Harbor was. When the sound of the lone Japanese bomber was first heard, many had never expected what horrors would emerge, and what actions would be taken. Pearl Harbor was the most devastating loss in United States Naval History and the worst surprise attack ever against us. The bombing threw us into W.W.II, which in turn ended Hitler's advances in Europe, brought us out of the Great Depression, and started national controversy over the honesty of the Roosevelt administration. To say that Pearl Harbor was a good thing because it placed us in the war and the war ended in Axis defeat, would be a completely incorrect interpretation. For the horror of the victims at Pearl Harbor can not match what happened in any other battle that war. Although Pearl Harbor did not have many direct results, the indirect ones prove that it was a turning ! This book gives more extensive information on the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It also gives some specific statistics and also covers the rest of the war. This book gives the basic facts of Pearl Harbor, as well as a look at the controversy that came from it. It helped by clearly showing how all the little things that were happening before the bombing all added up to its horrific finale. French, Howard W. "Pearl Harbor Truly
Some common words found in the essay are:
Pearl Harbor, Ford Island, Japan Flower, pearl harbor, Onboard Nevada, Roosevelt American, War II, WWII Hitler's, Roosevelt's Deal, Africa Allies, Research Iguchi, bombing pearl, bombing pearl harbor, declaration war, world war, world war ii, war ii, loss united naval, loss united, united naval, declared war, ford island, flower et al, naval history, united naval history,
Approximate Word count = 2323
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)
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